Sustainable Hover House 3 Maximizes Outdoor Living By “Hovering” Over The Yard

Designed by Glen Irani Architects the Hover House 3 is the third in a series of Hover Houses, which aims to reduce the amount of indoor living space by taking it outside. Each Hover House "hovers" over the ground floor creating a protected outdoor living space, thus reducing materials needed, but never at the sacrifice of living space. Located within the Venice Canals in California, the third home was constructed on a tight lot and goes above and beyond when it comes to sustainability. Green materials, a wind tower and solar panels have all come together to create this stunning eco-residence.

The three-bedroom, two-office, 2,500 sq ft home proposes that interior living space be reduced by shifting to less resource-intensive outdoor living. Situated on a tight lot, the home expands upwards hovering over a large covered outdoor patio, which sits next to the at-grade garage. Living space and bedrooms are located on the second and third floors. By spending more time outdoors the owners can expect to reduce energy costs, resources and their carbon footprint.

On top of their expanded outdoor living area, the home relies on natural ventilation, calculated window placement and a wind tower that extends 9′ above the roof to eliminate the need for air conditioning. A life-cycle analysis was performed to determine which materials had less embodied energy, and the decision was made to use man-made slate panels, exposed concrete walls and radiant hydronic heating. The home’s design works to reduce environmental air and noise pollution. Additionally, a roof-mounted photovoltaic system offsets 80% of the home’s power demands.